Foreign Nationals Urged to Leave Lebanon Amid Rising War Fears

Calls for foreign nationals to leave Lebanon are growing, with fears that the country could become a frontline in a regional war as Iran and its allies prepare to respond to high-profile killings blamed on Israel.

Diplomats are working to prevent a broader conflict, with France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan’s King Abdullah II stating Sunday that a regional military escalation must be avoided “at all costs,” according to the French presidency after their phone call.

With significant military action from Lebanon’s Hezbollah and others expected, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned, “If they dare to attack us, they will pay a heavy price.”

The nearly 10-month-long war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has already caused violent spillover effects across the region.

On Sunday, the deadliest incident in Gaza saw an Israeli strike hit two schools in Gaza City housing displaced people, killing at least 30, according to the Civil Defense agency. This brings the number of schools hit in Gaza since July 6 to at least 11.

In Tel Aviv’s vicinity, medics and police reported a stabbing attack by a Palestinian from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, resulting in two deaths. The attacker was “neutralized” by police and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

– ‘Highly Volatile’ –

Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the Gaza war started in October, announcing the deaths of two of its fighters on Sunday without specifying the location. The Lebanese health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on Houla, a southern border village, killed two people.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli strikes on various areas in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel. The Israeli military claimed most of the 30 projectiles launched from Lebanon were intercepted.

Early Monday, sirens sounded in northern Israel’s Upper Galilee region after “numerous suspicious aerial targets” were identified crossing from Lebanon, according to the Israeli military. The attack ignited a fire and moderately injured an officer and a soldier.

The cross-border violence since October has resulted in about 547 deaths in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including 115 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Saudi Arabia and France have joined several countries in urging their citizens to leave Lebanon. France’s foreign ministry “urgently asked” its nationals to avoid traveling to Lebanon and suggested those already there should leave “as soon as possible.” France also advised its citizens in Iran to “temporarily leave.”

Several Western airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon and other regional airports. Qatar Airways announced that its Doha-Beirut route would operate exclusively during daylight hours at least until Monday.

– Ceasefire Hopes Dimmed –

The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday, following the Israeli killing of Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukur in Beirut, has led to vows of revenge from Iran and its “axis of resistance” of Tehran-backed armed groups. Israel has not directly commented on the attack but is accused by Hamas, Iran, and others of being responsible.

Haniyeh’s death complicates efforts to broker a truce and hostage-release deal, which Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators have been working on for months.

– ‘Greatest Peril’ –

Analysts predict a joint but measured response from Iran and its allies, with Tehran expecting Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel and not just military targets.

The United States, an ally of Israel, is moving additional warships and fighter jets to the region. White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told ABC News that the U.S. is “doing everything possible to make sure that this situation does not boil over,” emphasizing the urgency of reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the need to calm regional tensions in a call with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held consultations with Iran’s acting top diplomat Ali Bagheri and met President Masoud Pezeshkian during a rare visit to Tehran.

The G7 group of democracies, in a videoconference, expressed “strong concern” over the threat of escalation, according to Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) stated that Haniyeh’s killing “has brought the Middle East to its moment of greatest peril in years,” calling for a long-overdue ceasefire in Gaza as the best way to reduce regional tensions. Hamas officials, analysts, and some protesters in Israel have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war.

“Peace is made with the strong not with the weak,” Netanyahu said at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Sunday.